Monday, April 29, 2013

back in the saddle.

Zamorano was back in session today after 4 weeks of spring break.

It's good to be back:) I got the second graders dirty today making pinch pots and learning about symmetry. We looked at a few of the fantastic pinch pots that Lisa Farris made a couple years ago when she set off on her 365 days of pinch pots project. We identified symmetry and discussed how she went from a block of clay to the pot/bowl/cup form.


The kids were very excited to get started in each class. Students started with a little block of clay, turned it into a sphere, made a deep thumb hole, and then pinched the walls to create their shapes. They did a great job with this. I emphasized not to make the top thin right away, so it wouldn't get too floppy on them. As students worked I went around and helped everybody one by one. The biggest issue for kids was not making the hole/bottom deep enough. I helped them do this and it allowed them to make their forms a little wider and taller.


The nit was time to add details. Students got another piece of clay that was thin and flat. I showed them how to cut slab shapes, how to roll small spheres, and how to roll coils. I emphasized that the most important part of the add-on stage was using enough slip/glue to keep the parts together even after the form dried.





A whole lot of variety in the faces and one of the quietest work periods I have seen in a while (after slapping the clay into a sphere:). Kids were into it!

4 classes down. 6 to go. Next week the pieces should be fired and they will paint them using a family of analogous colors of their choice...









4 comments:

  1. Welcome back Don! Those fun faces look great. That's a lot of firing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey man..we should chat some time! Comments are fun and all, but you seem like someone it would actually be fun to talk shop with!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheers to that, sir:) naea is out here in san diego next year! woot! i'm sure we'll talk before then, but it will be super cool to actually, hopefully, meet a bunch of the bloggers i follow:)

      Delete
    2. I am hoping to go. I really would like to...never been to CA. $$ is an issue. My wife stays home with the kids, so...on one income it is hard to make such trips. This past year I got a grant...and a man from my church used his points to pay for the hotel. We wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise. I'm going to put in a proposal for a talk and pray I'm able to find a way!!!

      Delete